Tepees are of course well known. One method of constructing a tepee is to first form a tripod structure. The tripod structure by definition has three poles, respectively referred to herein as a north pole, a south pole, and a door pole. In the past, the vertex of the tripod, that is, where the three poles intersect once erected, have been joined by lashing or other means allowing the poles to be spread at the base of the tripod. Spreading the tripod poles forms "crotches" between the upper ends of the poles which extend upwardly from the vertex of the tripod. Other auxiliary poles are then laid into the crotches in a radially spaced apart array around the base of the tepee structure. A flexible covering may then be laid over the tripod poles and auxiliary poles to form the generally right circular cone-shape characteristic of tepees.
In the prior art, Applicant is aware of U.S. Pat. No. 3,779,259 which issued Dec. 18, 1973 to Fuller for a Collapsible Protective Structure. The Collapsible Protective Structure of Fuller provides a tent structure which once erected is essentially cone-shaped. Two truss poles are crossed above the peak of the tent and secured at their vertex by a collar-like pole harness.
Applicant is also aware of U.S. Pat. No. 5,439,016 which issued Aug. 8, 1995 to Grahn for a Tent and Method for Pitching Thereof. Grahn discloses a substantially cone-shaped tent wherein radially spaced apart rods are connected at their uppermost ends to a ring mounted within a support arrangement, wherein the support arrangement forms the vertex of the cone formed by the tent.
Applicant is also aware of U.S. Pat. No. 4,838,293 which issued Jun. 13, 1989 to Novak for a Tepee Tent, wherein a tepee tent structure is supported on rigid tent poles, the rigid tent poles supported at their upper extremities by an apex cup having sockets for rigidly securing the tent poles in the cup.
Applicant is also aware of U.S. Pat. No. 3,042,052 which issued to Rosier for a Portable Tepee, which teaches a tepee comprising a collapsible conical frame structure including a plurality of upwardly converging poles terminating in crossed upper end portions. A ring pivotally connects the upper portions of the poles, whereby the poles may be swung substantially into parallelism for collapsing the frame structure. The ring has spaced slots therein. Studs on the poles loosely engage in the slots so that the poles may be rocked transversely on the periphery of the ring.
Applicant is also aware of U.S. Pat. No. 4,011,880 which issued Mar. 15, 1977 to Shoults for a Tent Structure, wherein tent staves which form a tent structure are joined at their upper ends by a common pin.
What is neither taught nor suggested in the prior art of which applicant is aware is the pivotal coupling of three pole clamps at the vertex of the tepee tripod, where each of the clamps is secured to a corresponding tripod pole as better described below.